Gary Russell-Jhonny Gonzalez: Post-Fight Report Card

by Cliff Rold

Talent trumped experience.

The protected was protected no more. The battle-tested veteran was vanquished.

When it is a fighter’s turn to arrive at their moment, when the right cross section of athletic gifts and an opponent whose experience can’t trump them arrives, it’s fun to watch. Last year, Gary Russell Jr. found out there are opponents against whom his gifts are not enough.

The internalization of that lesson was on display last Saturday night.

Let’s go the report card.

Grades

Pre-Fight: Speed – Gonzalez B; Russell A/Post: B; A+

Pre-Fight: Intangibles – Gonzalez A; Russell B/Post: B+; B+

Even without that lesson against Vasyl Lomachenko, Russell probably walks through Gonzalez much the way he did. If he’d taken this fight two years ago when it was first discussed, the outcome likely is the same.

Jhonny Gonzalez is a lot of things.

He’s tough. He’s got underrated ring IQ. He can punch like hell. He’s long.

He’s never been fast.

Russell, while he has flaws, is fast as hell. This is a match where speed made all the difference and would have on a different date. When the other guy can hit you twice while you’re still gearing up to let one go, and he has the amateur background of a Russell, it’s game over.

Russell showed off good power in the fight, but it wasn’t enough to change the perception that he’s not a huge puncher. He was accurate, and clearly he stings. Gonzalez was as much overwhelmed as he was run over.

Gonzalez has plenty of miles on him but he’s not done yet. He can still make a rematch with Abner Mares and mix with a lot of the exciting talent at 126 lbs. Nicholas Walters, Lomachenko, and Russell?

That’s a different level.

They are the cream of the crop. Given Lomachenko’s win over Russell, and Walters’ knockout of Nonito Donaire, Russell is a hair below those two. Until he proves otherwise, it’s more than a hair below Lomachenko.

Walters, who shares a promoter with Lomachenko, doesn’t need to worry about Russell right now. And Russell need not invest too much in them. His advisor, Al Haymon, has some good options for him. He can also fight Mares, who maintains name value even if his fistic value has taken a hit. Jr. Featherweight titlist Leo Santa Cruz has allowed his career to hit a point of limbo.

A showdown with Russell could be good for both of them.

It’s been evident since he turned professional how much God-given talent Russell has. As a former Olympian, we know he has more than a passing knowledge of his trade. What we didn’t know, because it hadn’t happened yet, was whether Russell could win against something more than the fringes at Featherweight.

Now we know he can.

What we find out next is if he can keep doing it, keep improving, and evolve his craft to fully catch up to his potential.

Report Card and Staff Picks 2015: 14-3 (Including Staff Picks for Charlo-Martirosyan and Brook-Dan)

Cliff Rold is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene, a founding member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com